Announcement - Dido Birre

Not Just Coffee has the privilege of premiering Dido Birre, a brand new offering from Counter Culture Coffee. ‘Dido Birre’ is actually the name of the farmer and family who grew the coffee we will feature. Dido inherited a small plot of land from his coffee-farming family as a wedding gift and, in the years that followed, expanded his farm to more than three times its original size. Contracting lots in other regions, sharing with local cooperatives, and participating in regional farming research, Dido used his experience with coffee as a source of educational and economic empowerment for his fellow farmers and his greater community.

Coffee can be a transforming force like that, if you let it be.

In our experience, the coffee industry is all about a spirit of reciprocity and investing in something more - about feeding dreams, donating resources, giving your best and hoping for the best. We tried Dido Birre for the first time a few weeks back during a visit at the Counter Culture headquarters in Durham and when our friends at Counter Culture saw how smitten we were with the sweet fruity flavors of Dido Birre, they proposed that Not Just Coffee be the first to taste, brew, and serve it to the public. While it was certainly the quality and standout flavors of Dido Birre’s coffee that grabbed our initial attention, understanding the story behind the hands that harvested it has excited us even more.

Really learning about our farmers and their stories transforms us as baristas from being servers of coffee to stewards of coffee. When we embrace the humanity and hard work behind our whole bean coffees, we become even more invested in brewing and serving it with excellence. Learning these stories can be a changing experience for our customers as well - purchasing a pour over or latte is no longer about merely consuming a beverage, but about participating in and supporting an industry that honestly brings good to those who work in it.

We are really thankful to Counter Culture for the opportunity to play our role in this coffee’s journey - to brew it best and serve it with intentionality and care to our customers. This collaboration is rooted in the belief that when we take chances on each other, life is better. When we support each other, life is better. And we are so incredibly thankful to exist in a network of supportive and creative partners. We’ll be showcasing Dido Birre as pour over and espresso at all shops so customers can experience the full potential of a coffee this dynamic. Come join us!